


Multiversal Stories

by Pukapi



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chapter length may vary, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Skeleton Pregnancy (Undertale), Suicidal Thoughts, Tags May Change, other characters to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24605440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pukapi/pseuds/Pukapi
Summary: A bunch of oneshots that will be updated randomly because inspiration and writer's block seem to switch places every once in a while.
Relationships: Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 40





	1. AfterDeath - Cheating Death

**Author's Note:**

> In which Death finally confronts Geno.

“How could you do this to me?!”  
“I-I don't-”  
“Don't try to deny it!”

Loud sobbing could be heard, echoing through the darkness of the Save Screen. In front of the giant screen stood two skeletons, one clad in a black cloak, the other wearing a mix of white, black and red.

The smaller one dressed in white, called Geno, had pulled his beloved scarf over his mouth in utter confusion, not knowing how to deal with the situation at hand.  
The cloak-wearing one, Reaper, looked at him accusingly, tears in his eye sockets.

“What in the world are you even going on about?” Geno asked, looking over the one in front of him suspiciously. Reaper clicked his tongue, clearly offended.

“Of course you don't get it. Guys like you never do...” He wailed, wiping his hand over his wet cheeks.

“No, really. Please tell me what I did for you to show up here, bawling your eyes out.” Geno said in slight annoyance. _Who does he think he is to do that?_

“It could've been our anniversary today!” Reaper yelled, taking a step closer to Geno. Geno did the opposite, backing away from the taller. “W-what?!”

“Don't pretend like you don't know! I have the proof right here!” Reaper grabbed into his cloak, pulling out a notebook and flipping through the pages. Once he found the right page, he flung the book into Geno's face.

“See? The date says it all. We could've been together for two years by now! But you?! You had to cheat!”

Geno looked at the page, seeing his name and some other information. Place of birth, height, special characteristics like his large slash wound and glitches...

And the date of his death...  
Dating back two years from today...

He glanced back up at Reaper, slightly afraid now. The black-clad skeleton had his face down, the hood on his head casting a dark shadow over his eyes.

And then, he started chuckling. His voice deep and intimidating as he spoke, not a hint of the former bitterness and crying left. “You know...”  
He stepped further forwards, Geno being frozen in place, watching the other approach.

Reaper reached out his hand, his thumb stroking Geno's cheek as he cupped his face softly. He leaned in, seeing the smaller blush at the action. He smirked.  
“It's really not nice to cheat death, sweetheart...”

Geno shuddered lightly, Reaper's breath against his lips giving off a weird feeling of comfort. “I... I'm sorry...” He whispered, flustered at how close their faces actually were.

Reaper hummed. “I don't think you are.” he said flirtatiously. “I think you have to prove to me that you really are sorry...”

“H-how would I do that....?” Geno mumbled, starting to get lost in Reaper's gaze. The smirk turned into a soft smile, the god searching the smaller's eyes. “Would you be willing to do _anything_...?”

Geno nodded numbly, not being able to control his actions. “Anything...”  
“Well then...” Reaper murmured, wrapping his other arm around Geno's waist, pulling him closer and gently pressing their bodies together. His lips now brushed over Geno's ever so softly, sending more shivers down the glitching one's spine, and he spoke in a hushed tone.

“How about a little _kiss of Death_?”

Geno snapped back into reality, pushing against Reaper's chest harshly. His once dazed eyes focused on the grinning skeleton in front of him. “You did not...”

“Did not what, sweetheart?” The taller snickered, trying not to laugh at the other's pissed off expression.  
“You did not just ruin the moment with a _pun_!?”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn't... I'm still a Sans, can you really blame me?” Geno huffed in response, wriggling out of Reaper's grasp and turning his back to the taller, crossing his arms. “I hate you...”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Reaper shrugged. He stepped up to Geno once again, hugging him from behind and laying his head on the smaller's shoulder.

“Anyways, I'm afraid I have to go now. But don't worry... I'll be back before you know it.” He purred, nuzzling Geno's neck slightly.  
“W-whatever. It's not like I would care...!” He blushed, feeling the warmth around him vanish.

Geno turned his head to look over his shoulder, seeing Reaper open a portal.  
“Oh wait... I almost forgot something.” he heard the taller, feeling him grab onto his hand. Letting out a squeak, he was pulled forwards, falling against Reaper before being dipped down by the taller.

“I'm still getting that kiss, right?” With a grin, Reaper connected their lips, kissing the smaller deeply.  
Geno got no chance to respond, standing back on his feet before he knew it. He swayed lightly from the overwhelming feeling, blushing deeply and brushing his fingertips over his lips subconsciously.

The god smiled, happy with the reaction he had gotten. “I must be off now. See you later, sweetheart.” He blew the dazed skeleton one last kiss before disappearing through the portal.

The closing sound snapped Geno out of his state, leaving him to stare at the spot the God of Death had once been in.  
With all the confusing thoughts rushing through his mind, one question stuck out, causing Geno to blurt it out into the empty void.

“What the hell just happened?!”


	2. HorrorLust - Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lust just wants one thing... and ends up with something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: suicidal thoughts (implied), cannibalism (implied/attempted), death

“ _Pervert!”  
_ “ _Pedophile!”  
_ “ _SLUT!”_

Lust had heard those words and so much more in his life already, one would think they would just bounce right off. But they didn't... And it hurt every time they were thrown at him.

It wasn't his fault that he had grown up where he had. Underlust, where everyone was ' _just like him_ '.  
It wasn't his fault that he wore such revealing clothes. In his AU, those were considered 'normal', nothing else being sold _anywhere_.

And if he asked someone for clothes in another AU... they would just stare at him, everyone wearing the same expression on their faces... one of disgust. If children were with them, their eyes would be covered before being dragged away. Their parent telling them that they ' _shouldn't talk to people like him, EVER, because you can never know what they are going to do with you_ '.

Lust felt sick. He was tired and hungry and cold. He didn't even know where he was anymore.  
He rubbed his naked arms, trying to calm his shivering. The hood of his purple vest was pulled up in an attempt to warm his icy skull with the neon blue fluff attached to it.  
It didn't help a lot...

Reaching a park, Lust walked inside, finding a lake in the center of it. He stepped up to it, staring into the clear water. Slowly, he tipped the end of his boot into it, sending small waves across the surface.

“Maybe I should just... disappear...” Lust mumbled, eyeing the liquid in thought. “Maybe that would be the best...”  
 _I just want it to stop hurting... Is that wrong? No one would care, really..._

He made up his mind, he wanted it to end. He wanted _everything_ to end...  
 _I don't want it to end like this, though..._ He thought, kneeling in front of the lake, dipping his fingers into it. _I want it to be quick, without pain..._

Lust picked up some of the water with his hands, standing up again to throw the liquid onto the path. It was a trick he had discovered by accident.

The water started bubbling, as if it was boiling without heat, and a familiar figure took form in front of Lust.  
The newcomer, a smaller skeleton in brown clothes and a scarf, stood before Lust. The smaller noticed him and grinned.

“Wow, hey buddy. Kinda didn't expect you to call me again so early!” Lust just stared at the soulless creature. “You look like you've been through literal hell and back, honestly. You okay?” The smaller snickered.

“You wouldn't be able to care anyways... so why waste time trying to explain my state to you, Ink?” Lust questioned, slightly glaring at the other. “I just called you for a favor...”

“And what would that be? Didn't I already do you a favor by getting you out of your AU?” Ink wondered, a question mark appearing where the typical star had been before.  
Lust shook his head, taking a deep breath.

“I want you to take me somewhere else... please..” Ink just nodded, grabbing his giant paint brush from his back. “Where do you want to go?”

“To the most gruesome place you can think of.” Lust replied.  
“The most gruesome, huh?” The colorful skeleton asked, tapping his chin in thought.

“The only AU that comes to my mind right now would be....” He swished his brush through the air, creating a portal for Lust to step through. “This one! Have fun!”  
“Yeah, sure... Thank you.” Lust mumbled, waving a last goodbye, before disappearing in the mix of colors.

Once on the other side, he heard the portal close behind him, leaving him alone in an unknown surrounding. He looked around for a bit, noticing he stood in a forest, the trees withering terribly and bending in weird angles. Snow covered the whole ground.

_Must be one of the AU's that haven't made it to the surface yet...  
_ He took careful steps, the snow crunching beneath his feet, until he made it to the gate. _This is where the Sans of this AU would normally greet the human... I wonder where he is.._

Lust turned his head from side to side, keeping an eye out for someone, anyone. But, as it seemed... nobody came..

He walked further, coming across a dead human, hanging upside-down in a tree. He decided it would be best to ignore that, his stomach turning and making him gag at the sight of the corpse. The puzzles didn't exactly seem the most inviting either...

He had this weird feeling of being watched as he avoided them, being careful to not make a wrong step. Having bypassed the weird looking puzzles, he soon arrived at the town's welcome sign.

_Doesn't look very welcoming though..._ Lust glanced into the town of Snowdin. He felt a shiver run down his spine and he spun around to overlook the way he came from. There was nothing but the creepy forest...

_I could've sworn... it felt like someone was staring at me.._ He shuddered again, rubbing his arms and pulling his vest a bit tighter around himself. Shrugging the feeling off, he walked into the small town.

It looked empty, no one being outside. It was different than what he had seen before. In other AU's, the townsfolk would gather outside, sometimes interacting with each other, sometimes just... staring..

Lust walked over to ' _Grillby's_ ', the light inside shining brightly through the windows. He opened the door, taking a step inside, and immediately froze.  
The chatter had stopped and everyone stared at him with crazed eyes. Some looked empty, some looked deformed even, and all were eyeing him.

Uncomfortably, Lust made his way over to the counter and sat on one of the stools. From the kitchen came a smell, like meat being cooked. It reminded Lust of how he hadn't eaten anything in a while.

Just as he was about to speak, a presence behind him made him stop in his tracks. He stiffened and turned his head slightly, seeing a rabbit monster standing by his side. They looked at him weirdly, making Lust jump a bit. “C-can I help you...?”

They didn't reply, scanning him up and down, before turning to the others. “He looks good, doesn't he?”  
Lust blushed at the comment, not knowing how to react to that. The rabbit took his hand in their paw, bringing his arm up in the air and sniffing along the bone. “Smells good, too...”

Lust tore his hand out of the monster's grasp, uncomfortable. “W-what are you doing?!”  
The monster ignored him, talking to the others again. “Do you think he would be a good meal?”

_M-meal!?_ Lust flinched, afraid of the rabbit's words. _W-what do they mean?!_

“Do you really want to eat a skeleton?” Another monster's voice came. “He is nothing but bones.” The rabbit shrugged, drooling slightly. “But it seems he has a lot of magic! Just like Sans!”

“Dude, we can't eat Sans.” The other monster grumbled, licking their lips at the thought of fresh magic.  
“I know that. But he isn't Sans, so maybe we can eat him. What do you say, Grillby?”

Lust turned his attention to the flame monster behind the counter, eyeing him suspiciously and fearful.  
Suddenly, Grillby turned around, screeching horribly in pain and trying to take a hold of Lust's arm to pull him over.

Lust screamed, scrambling out of his seat and running to the wall, his exit being blocked by monsters. The group glared at him with hungry eyes, stepping ever closer to grab him and put him on the grill.

“N-no! Stay away! Please!!” He cowered on his knees, turning his back to the danger at hand and pulling his hood tighter around his skull. “Please!! Oh god, please! Stop! Somebody help me!” _I don't want to die anymore!_

The rabbit was about to touch him, being only inches from his arm away. Lust felt tears run down his cheeks, whimpering and screaming for someone to help him. And then...

All movement stopped. Lust turned around carefully, seeing the rabbit frozen in their spot before they turned to dust, an ax falling to the ground. Lust yelped, pulling his knees further to his body. The group of starved monsters turned around in shock, looking at the one behind them.

“No one is going to eat him...” said the figure, walking over from across the room and picking up the weapon. Lust looked up at them with blurry eyes, only being able to identify them as the Sans of this AU.

A skeletal hand was held out to him, catching Lust a bit off guard. “Come on... stand up.” the other said softly. Lust hesitated, eyeing the hand before laying his own gloved one in it.

He was pulled up, stumbling into the taller's chest, where he held onto the shirt firmly. Still shaking, his grip only tightened as he let out quiet sobbing.  
The others looked at them, confused and shocked. “But Sans, why-”

They were cut off by the ax, raised threateningly in the air, Lust's hand being clutched firmer. He felt the taller push him away slightly, glancing down at him. “Let's get outta here...”  
He could only nod, a jacket being placed around his shoulders, before leaving the establishment with the other holding onto him again.

They made it out, walking in silence through the town, side by side. Lust had wiped the remaining tears away, finally being able to look at the taller properly.  
He seemed like any normal Sans, black shorts, white shirt and blue jacket. Yet he was so different...

His shirt had splatters of red covering at least half of the cloth. Looking at his own hand, Lust noticed the same substance on his palm. _Probably from when I held onto it..._ He blushed lightly at the thought.

One of the most notable differences were his eyes. His right eye light didn't seem to work, showing only hollow, black emptiness. His left one glowed a bright red.  
And lastly... his head. A big hole gaped at the left side of his skull, as if it had been smashed in.

Lust couldn't help but stare at it, wondering how the taller could even be alive.  
“Hasn't anyone told you that it's rude to stare at people?” The other snickered, snapping Lust out of his thoughts and causing him to blush in shame. “S-sorry...”

He laughed again. “It's alright. You get used to it after a while.” Lust could only nod, watching the ground. “The name's Horror, by the way. And you?” “L-lust..”

“That's a nice name.” Horror said. “So... what brings you to a place like this?” he wondered.  
Lust thought back to what his intentions were, his stomach turning again. “I... I'd rather not talk about it...” he mumbled.

Horror hummed understandingly. He was able to imagine what the smaller had planned, no one would come here willingly without ulterior motives...

They arrived at Horror's house, settling down in the living room. Lust excused himself, going to the kitchen to wash his hands and get rid of the red stuff, that he _really_ hoped was only ketchup.

While doing so, he felt the same weird feeling that sent a shiver down his spine. He turned slightly, seeing Horror watch his every move. Upon being spotted, Horror flinched, swiftly averting his eyes. Lust giggled softly, drying his hands and walking back over to the sofa.

“So it was you, huh?” He questioned, sitting down beside the taller. “W-was what?” Horror muttered, pretending to not know what Lust was talking about.  
“You were watching me, back in the forest. Kinda creepy, don't you think?”

Horror shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. “Why did you stalk me?” Lust asked, trying to catch the other's glance. When he still refused, Lust sighed, pouting slightly. “Come on, you bonehead. At least look at me when I talk to you.”

He reached out his hand, putting it against Horror's cheek and turning his head to face him. The taller struggled against Lust's grip before finally giving in. “See, isn't this way nicer already?”  
Horror blushed softly, nodding and subconsciously leaning into the smaller's touch.

“Now tell me... why were you stalking me?” Lust asked again, seeing the blue hue dusting the other's cheeks more. “I wasn't stalking you... I was looking out for you..”  
“Looking out for me?” Lust blinked, tilting his head. “Why?”  
“I dunno....” Horror muttered. “What do you mean you don't know?”

“Well, I just... I felt like I had to protect you..” He laid his hand on top of Lust's, which still cupped his cheek. He looked deeply into the smaller's eyes. “Do you believe in 'love at first sight'?”  
Lust blushed brightly, shaking his head. “I-I... I d-don't think so...”

“I didn't either, y'know... until today.” he whispered. He clutched Lust's hand again, intertwining their fingers gently. Lust glanced at their hands, looking back up into Horror's gaze.

“At first, I wanted to attack you. Prank you, like I normally do with newcomers.” Horror continued. “But when I saw the pain in your eyes... you had a pretty tough life up until now, didn't you?” Lust broke eye contact, his fingers tightening around the taller's.

“I... I was always treated like someone I'm not. Everyone made me feel like less of a person. They.. insulted and bullied me because I was always different. I didn't really fit in my AU. And everywhere else I was labeled as a pervert or a slut, because of my appearance.” He gestured to his clothes, pulling the taller's hoodie closer to his body. “I was sick of it and...” He quieted down, not wanting to relive the memory.

Horror understood, not forcing the smaller to continue. “I can only imagine, how that must have felt like... I just couldn't do what I had planned. I didn't want to break you even further. So I started following you instead. I wanted to stay hidden, see what you would do along the way until I would get the chance to confront you.” He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “Then you went to ' _Grillby's_ '... and I heard you scream. It made me furious... I knew I had to do something..”

Lust winced slightly. New tears formed in his eyes, but were quickly brushed off by Horror. “I don't want to imagine what would've happened if you hadn't been there...” He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. Horror wrapped his arm around Lust, pulling the smaller into his chest and keeping him close.

“I don't want to think about that either...” He mumbled, kissing the other's head to calm himself.  
Lust's face lit up at the touch, but he nuzzled into the soft fabric, listening to the fast beating soul of the taller.

“You wouldn't try to eat me, would you?” Lust murmured quietly, eyeing the ax that leaned against the wall and hearing Horror chuckle. “I have refrained from eating for almost eight years. I think I can handle a while longer.”

“Eight years?! Why?!” Lust shrieked, pulling back to look at Horror in shock. “Wasn't there food at ' _Grillby's_ '?!”  
“I really would advise you to not eat that. As enticing as it smells... you don't want to know what's cooking in there..”

Lust decided to remain quiet, taking the other serious in the matter of 'not wanting to know'.  
He snuggled back into the taller's chest, closing his eye sockets and relishing the comforting silence that enveloped them.

A small squeaking sound escaped his mouth when Horror leaned back, falling onto the couch with Lust landing on top of him. Getting over the shock quickly, Lust squirmed around a bit, getting more comfortable. Horror chuckled quietly, rubbing his hand softly over Lust's back.

Lust nuzzled deeper into the warmth, purring softly as he felt Horror's hand trail its way up to the back of his head, stroking it lightly.  
“You sound like a kitty, love.” Horror snickered. The smaller's head shot up, blushing a bright purple. “L-love?”

“Yeah, sounds nice, doesn't it?” the taller replied, looking down into the other's eyes. “W-why would you call me that?”  
“Cause I love you. Dummy...” Horror said casually, leaning in to place a kiss on Lust's forehead. At least he tried to, Lust sitting up before he could reach him.

“Love is a strong word...” The smaller mumbled, sitting on Horror's stomach and looking down at his hands. “You shouldn't throw it around carelessly. You don't even know me...”  
“But I want to...” Horror answered, lifting himself up so Lust was straddling his lap. He wrapped his arms around the smaller's waist, pulling their bodies closer together.

“I want to get to know you. I want to learn about you, what you like and what you don't like. Who you really are. I want to know the real you and not the fake one people talk about.”

“No one ever wanted to do that...” Lust said, completely in awe and stunned from what he had heard. He saw a smile forming on the taller's lips, a hand cupping Lust's cheek lovingly. “Well, I do... and we can take all the time in the world.”

Lust smiled back, placing his hand on top of Horror's.  
“And I don't want to rush anything... But..” Horror continued. “Once you feel comfortable enough... I want to ask you out.” Lust's soul sped up slightly and his eyes widened.

“Ask me out...?” he mumbled, Horror nodded. “Yes. I want us to be lovers in the future. I want to protect you and see you smile. To feel you near me and just... love you.” He gently pulled Lust's face closer, kissing his cheek softly. “What do you say? Would you allow me to do that when you're ready?”

_Lovers... real love.._

Lust smiled brightly, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.  
“That would be wonderful...”


	3. ErrInk - Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Error may finally realize something (with some help).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the song "Vincent" by Sarah Connor

Error has somehow always felt..... different.

And he didn't only mean him being a black-boned skeleton with weird blue stripes running down his cheeks.

He always shrugged it off though, not thinking anything of it.

He had his group of friends, his brothers, and was content with how his life went so far.

Then _he_ came along..

That stupid artist, who began bugging the hell out of him.

"What the fuck do you want?!"  
"I just wanna be friends.."  
"This friendship would be as fake as your entire being! And now fuck off!!"

And he did leave Error alone.  
He had started hanging out with Dream and Blue, who accepted him even with his weird behavior and those strange paints, which allowed him to feel emotions.

Error continued living his own normal life, trying to avoid Ink as much as possible for the time being.

His view on his 'normality', however, started changing when his friends, one after the other, started getting... girlfriends.  
And he _knew_ something was up with him.

Because he didn't feel that way towards any girls.  
Neither in a romantic way, nor a sexual one.

Error knew some people who didn't feel any kind of attraction towards others, maybe he was just the same as them.

He could live with that mindset, still borrowing... some _magazines_... from friends. Just to test if, maybe, he was wrong. But nothing.

He still felt the same...  
Until he caught himself wanting to peck that inky bastard's cheek instead of getting annoyed from seeing him!

Now Error felt wrong. He had accepted that he wasn't feeling more that friendly attraction towards people, and now his whole world was turned upside-down again!

And then his older brother, Geno, invited a friend to their home. A guy with a chilling aura.

And then they kissed!  
Error's _brother_ had just kissed another _guy_ , who he then introduced as his _boyfriend_!

Their mother seemed happy for her son. But Error?  
Error was just confused. His brother was... _gay_?

He thought back to the moments he had been staring at boys rather than girls.  
... was _he_ gay?

The next few days he went to school like normal, but now feeling uncomfortable with being around others. Walking faster, his shoulders hunched and his grip on his backpack tighter, he didn't notice another person walking his way.

His head was clouded and he heard the faintest sounds of laughter coming closer, before there was a soft gasp and warning and he collided with the other.  
Both of them tumbled to the ground and Error finally snapped back into reality.

Holding his head, he glanced up at who ran into him, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of the colorful, mismatched eyes

_Fucking inkstain..._

Error growled, glaring at Ink before his eyes caught onto the sketch book laying open on the ground.

With a sketch of Error himself!

Before Ink's searching fingers found the book, Error had already snatched it off the ground, glaring at the drawing before flipping through the pages.

They were all filled with sketches and finished drawings alike. And all of them showed one thing, one person.

Error.

He felt his face grow hot. Either from embarrassment or fury, he didn't know.

Ink blushed, snatching his sketch book from Error's hands and pressing it to his chest.  
"J-just pretend you didn't see anything!"

The smaller jumped up, gripping onto Dream's wrist and pulling him hurriedly down the corridor.

How was Error supposed to feel about _that_ now?!

Irritated, he stood up, making his way to his next class.

~~~

He wasn't able to concentrate. His mind jumped back and forth, always ending with the one person he couldn't stand the most...  
Or so he thought.

Shutting out the rambling teacher, Error's thoughts drifted back to when he first met Ink.

Those colorful, ever-changing eyes, full of curiosity and watching him with interest and fascination.  
That bright, cheerful smile. Captivating, dragging him in and urging him to smile back, but he remained stoic, cold-hearted.

Error never imagined he'd feel... warmth... blossoming, spreading out into his whole being from a pit in his non-existent stomach.  
But now... when he pictured the smaller skeleton's face...

Error was definitely sick. A fever.  
There was no other explanation.  
There COULD BE no other explanations for what he felt when thinking of the annoying inkblob.

After his next class was over and he came to the same conclusion as before, Error went home despite still having two classes left.

His mom was a tad bit confused to see him home this early, but didn't get a chance to confront him about it.  
When she knocked on his door, she found it locked. Asking him what was up and if anything happened left her with a grumbled answer of him not feeling so well.

She told him to get some rest and they'd talk later.

~~~

'Later' came sooner than Error would've liked it to.

He had taken a nap, awaking about three hours later to another knock on his door.  
"What...?" He groaned, glancing at the door, which he had unlocked earlier, to see his mom come in.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?", she asked softly.

Error sat up groggily, leaning against his bed's headboard.  
"I don't know..." he finally mumbled, glancing at her before shifting his gaze down to his hands. "I just... I feel kinda fuzzy... warm... I think I might be getting a fever."

"Did you feel like that all day? Why didn't you say something?", she questioned. He shook his head.

"I didn't, that's why..." Error started. "There's just... this guy, and he gets on my nerves all the time. He's driving me insane, and the more I thought about how much he annoys me... the weirder I felt. I got warmer and warmer, I thought I was gonna die at one point if the warmth continued to rise any higher..."

The pink haired woman blinked at her son. "What exactly did you feel, dear?"

"Like..." He thought for a bit. "My stomach got all fluttery and I was sure I was gonna vomit eventually. And my cheeks got really warm when I thought about his stupid-looking face, but I can't tell if it was rage or the fever..."

His mom smiled at him, laughing softly at her son's cluelessness. "What if I tell you that it's neither of those?"

Error looked at her in confusion. "What else could it be? It's the only logical conclusion..."

She chuckled lightly, taking her son's hands and squeezing them softly. "Well, sweetheart... I think you might be in love."

Instantly, Error crashed.

~~~

Once he was rebooted, he found himself laying on his bed instead of sitting. His mom was still beside him, having switched from his bed to a chair next to it.

To his surprise, Geno stood there as well, worriedly looking down at his younger brother.  
"Everything alright?", he questioned.

Error nodded, his head still dizzy from his previous crash.

He glanced back at their mother, her smile still stuck to her face.

"Were you serious...?" He mumbled, seeing her nod energetically.  
"You're crazy... you know that?"  
She nodded once more.

"I might be crazy, but that doesn't change the fact that you're in love."

Error groaned. "Can't you just accept that I'm sick and get me some medicine, please..?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid there is no medicine for love~."

~~~

When Error's way crossed Ink's the next day at school, he merely looked at him and his friend before silently continuing to his class.

Ink stopped in his tracks, forcing Dream to stop and look back at him in confusion. "What's up?"

Ink just stared at the spot Error had stood in shortly before.  
A small smile found its way onto his face, his cheeks flushing softly. "Did you see that?"

"Did I see what?" Dream questioned. "That nasty glare he shot us? It's the same as every day."

"No, it wasn't!" Ink argued, startling the golden one. "It was completely different! He's never looked like that. He didn't even flip me off this time! We're making progress!"

Ink was ecstatic, humming along the way and almost skipping through the hallway.

Dream sighed, smiling slightly and following after his friend.

_Being in love really does make you (feel) weird..._


	4. Cream - Petrified

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cross finds something quite... curious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnigns: murder (attempted), long chapter

Wandering around the Multiverse aimlessly... that's all Cross could do, as he didn't exactly have a home. He had found a universe he had decided to crash in for a while, but he didn't want to get too attached to it.  
He hadn't found a place to call 'home' yet. Neither had he found someone he would want to stay with.

Cross had visited many AUs. Some were cute, some strange. Others were cruel, nasty, sometimes both. Most of them were filled with life. Monsters, occasionally even humans, rushing through the streets of the Underground and Surface alike.

A few others though.... were empty..  
Void-like, broken, destroyed.... Like the one he had set foot in now.

It appeared to be a battlefield, ashes and dust lying around and breezing through the air. The sky was dark, gray clouds keeping every little bit of sunshine from sneaking through.  
A tree stood near the center of what seemed to once have been a village. Or at least... what has remained of a tree. It's apparently been cut down with force... or maybe it fell on its own?

_"Seems like it's already been dead for a while..."_  
Cross nodded, Chara's ghostly form floating beside him. "What do you think happened here?"

_"I dunno... Genocide Timeline? Though, this doesn't look like what we have seen before..."_  
"It really doesn't... It feels like all of this happened at once. No human would be able to do that."

Cross looked around, taking note of some faded golden fabric hanging from the edge of the trunk.  
 _"Cross, look at that!"_

The skeleton turned around, seeing his companion float over to something standing close by.  
Upon inspecting it further, Cross noticed it was a statue, representing another skeleton. They seemed to be some kind of royalty, fine-looking clothes, a cape 'fluttering' behind them, and a circlet resting on their skull.

It would have been an impressive, beautiful work of art, if it weren't for the terrified look they wore on their face. If Cross were to describe the expression, he would say the small prince's worst nightmare stood opposite of him.

He placed his bony hand on the statue's cheek, running his thumb over the cold stone. A thick layer of dust covered the small skeleton.

_"How long do you think this thing has been here?"_ Chara asked, receiving a shrug in response.  
Cross didn't know why, but he felt like... like he had to stay with the statue..

"I'm gonna take it home..."  
 _"What?!"_

Before Chara could protest any further, Cross had already opened a portal and wrapped his arms around the statue. He struggled slightly, lifting it from its spot, careful not to break anything off.

"Come on." he mumbled, stepping through the portal into his temporary home.  
It was a small house. A living room, which was connected to the small kitchen, and a hall leading to a bathroom and a bedroom with a twin-size bed.

It was nothing much, but it was enough for Cross, since he technically lived alone. Chara didn't need any of the stuff their home provided.  
He placed the statue in the living room, near their good-as-new couch. The fabric was slightly worn out, not falling apart though, and he could feel the small springs give in as he sat down.

He leaned back into the cushions, admiring the small skeleton. It was as if an aura surrounded the statue, making Cross happy to have it around.  
"Do you think they were a living monster once?" Cross wondered, not taking his eyes off the small one's face.

_"They surely seem to have been... I don't think anyone would be able to craft a statue like that without someone posing for them."_ Chara answered, lazily drifting around the statue and inspecting the smallest details.

"Would've been cool to meet them in person. They surely seem nice enough."  
 _"How can you tell? It's just a statue..."_ The ghost stated. Yet another shrug from the skeleton.  
"Just a feeling..."

~~~~~

It's been a week since the statue has been found. The aura had gotten stronger over time, it seemed. And Cross became happier and happier with every look at it.

At the start of the new week, Cross had decided to go back to the AU he found the statue in. The sky was starting to clear up, the clouds breaking to let through the smallest rays of sunlight.

Taking gardening tools with him, he started a daily routine of cleaning the ground, getting rid of the remaining traces of dust. He watered the dried grass and the tree, planting flowers here and there.

Even though he knew his efforts alone wouldn't be enough, he couldn't stop himself. He felt the need to take care of this small village, if not for himself then for the little skeleton whose statue stood in his house.

Cross returned home in the late afternoon one day, satisfied with the work he has been able to complete.  
With less death and more nature and sunlight around, the plaza was already way more pleasing to look at.

Taking off his shoes and jacket, he flopped down onto the couch, his head against the armrest by the statue.

He glanced up at the smaller skeleton's face, barely able to make out their features in the dim light.  
But he didn't need light to know what they looked like. He had seen the skeleton's cute face more than enough times in the short while it has been with him.

With a last thought of the pretty face, and a smile on his own, Cross fell asleep not even ten seconds later.

~~~~~

In the morning, he awoke to Chara shouting Cross' name in his face, wanting the skeleton to wake up immediately. The taller only turned his back to him, mumbling something about it being way too early for such a nuisance.

However, when Chara used the words 'statue' and 'cracking' in the same sentence, Cross' eye sockets flew open in an instant. He sat up rapidly, ignoring the pain in his back from sleeping on the couch, his gaze fixed on said item.

And there he saw it.

A crack in the stone, right on the small skeleton's cheek.

Cross sprung up, scrambling in front of the statue, and put his hand on the spot.  
"Nonono... how could that have happened..?" he mumbled, a worried look in his eyes.

He then shifted his attention to Chara, who was still floating beside him. "Did you do something to them...?" He almost glared at the child, squinting his eye sockets a bit as he awaited the answer.

Chara shook his head. _"Of course not! Do you really think I'm so stupid and destroy something precious to you?"_

Cross just gave him a look.

_"Okay, yeah. You're right. Maybe I actually would just to annoy the hell out of you. But I swear by my half of our soul that I didn't do anything for that to happen."_

The skeleton did not seem convinced, but it wouldn't help him to dwell on it for too long.

He inspected the crack, it running down the smaller's face from just underneath the eye almost all the way to their chin. Almost like a tear, making its way down to fall to the ground.

"I don't think this can be glued..." Cross muttered.

He sighed deeply, letting his hand fall back to his side. There was nothing he could do but hope for it to not break any further.

"Chara... please tell me when you notice more damage, okay?" Cross asked, not looking at his companion.

_"Yeah, sure. I can do that.."_ Chara complied, nodding absentmindedly.

~~~~~

And he did..

Almost every day... a new crack appeared.

They were running all over the statue, but no matter how many times the lines crossed paths.... nothing was breaking off. Surprising and worrying Cross deeply.

What if it continues to break until it just... falls apart?  
Crumbling to little pieces and dust, scattered all across the room...  
Cross didn't even want to imagine that...

He continued his routine of visiting the village, coming home, and watching the statue. When he slept, Chara took over for him.

.....

But the feeling of uneasiness never left him...

He couldn't relax anymore, the nervousness of returning home only to find the precious statue gone sticking to him all the time....

He didn't know what he would do if that happened...

It was the one thing he never wanted to happen...

.....

It would be an understatement to say he was shocked when the statue wasn't in its spot.

~~~~~

Cross was numb to everything around him.

He couldn't hear Chara, he felt like he couldn't breathe, he couldn't focus on anything but the place his statue had once been in.

But instead...... there was something on the floor... Or better..

Someone...

Cross took careful steps forwards, approaching the stranger laying in his house.

They seemed.... familiar....

Cross couldn't exactly tell what they wore, a bright golden cape with a sun in its center covering their small body. But the cape itself... looked like the one which had adorned the statue.

It couldn't be... could it?  
It was more than absurd to think that the statue... miraculously became a real skeleton..

A soft groan was what snapped Cross out of his thoughts, his attention shifting to the now moving monster on the ground. They sat up on their knees, holding their head.  
The smaller one looked around, their bright golden eyes seeming a bit hazy as they scanned their surroundings.

When they caught Cross' glance, his breath hitched slightly and he could feel his face heating up. He felt as if he had been caught doing something worse than watching and staring at some stranger who mysteriously appeared in his house.

They tilted their head softly before smiling at him. "Hello..."

The voice was soft and a bit raspy, as if it hadn't been used for centuries. But it was still recognizable as a male's voice. Maybe a small bit childish, but male nonetheless.

Cross couldn't help but blush slightly. Out of embarrassment or just because the smaller looked at him with pure innocence, he couldn't tell.

_"Wake up, idiot!"_ Chara was snapping his fingers in front of Cross' face. Cross blinked a couple of times, glancing at Chara before returning his gaze back to the other skeleton. "Who are you...? Ah, m-my name's Cross!"

The golden one looked him in the eyes, still smiling. "I'm Dream.."

_Dream..._   
_Cute...._

Cross was once again awoken from his thoughts when he noticed Dream attempting to stand up, his knees shaking and threatening to give in underneath him. The taller surged forward, catching Dream around the waist before he could fall back to the ground.

"Thank you.." Dream mumbled, holding onto Cross' upper arms to try and regain his balance.

Being so close to Dream was.... comforting..  
Cross felt his arms unconsciously tighten a small bit.

The soft squeak-like noise Dream made and the golden blush made Cross let go of his waist, instead holding his shoulders and making sure the smaller was able to stand.

When Dream found his footing and slowly let his grip slip from Cross' arms, the taller released his shoulders and took a step back. Giving Dream more space for himself.

Said skeleton glanced around himself again, taking in his surroundings.  
"Where am I..? This isn't Dreamtale anymore..."

"Dreamtale?"

"My village.."

"Oh..." Cross blushed softly, rubbing the back of his head. "I, uhm... I kinda found you there.. I think.."

Dream tilted his head. "You think?"

Cross nodded, glancing to the side. "Well... it didn't really look like a village. More like a battlefield. All ash and dust and death..."

"Oh..." Dream mumbled, but the smile found its way back onto his face almost immediately. "At least it's still there and he didn't completely destroy our universe."

_He?_ Cross thought, staring at Dream questioningly.  
The smaller one didn't seem to notice though, as he glanced around the room curiously.

"I've started to fix it up, though!" The monochrome suddenly blurted out, gaining Dream's attention once more.

"You did?" He asked and his face seemed to brighten up even more.

"Y-yeah..." Cross muttered. "You.... you wanna see it..?"  
"Of course!" Dream nodded enthusiastically.

The monochrome hesitated slightly. "Maybe... we should go tomorrow. It's getting late and you just, like... woke up? Un-petrified? I don't know, but you should probably get some more rest before you keep stumbling around."

Just as his sentence finished, Dream let out a small yawn, rubbing slightly at his eyes.  
"You're right... I feel exhausted. Like I haven't slept in ages... Though I imagine I have been like that for quite some time..."

Cross was tempted to ask about it.  
About why the smaller one had been in that state. About who the other _he_ was Dream had mentioned earlier...

But he saw the tiredness in the golden one's eyes, the soft swaying as he stood in front of the taller and tried to keep from just sinking to the floor for a nap.

It was actually kinda adorable...

_"Quit blushing, idiot!"_ Chara yelled, snapping Cross out of his thoughts.

Having his blush called out to him only made his face hotter, the purple hue darkening further.

"You should go to bed..." He pointed down the hall. "I'll take the couch."

Dream looked at him in surprise, but nodded. Too tired to argue about how he should be the one sleeping on the couch.  
He yawned and looked down at himself.

"Do you... do you need clothes?" Cross asked. "I could get you one of my shirts... if you're okay with that."

"Alright..." Dream murmured, tiredly following Cross into the bedroom and taking a seat on the bed.

The taller pulled one of his shirts out of his closet, examining it before holding it out for Dream. "It's probably a bit big on you, but it will do for the night."

Dream yawned once more, taking the shirt with a small "thanks..", and unclasping his cape.  
He pulled it in front of him to fold it and frowned. "It's damaged..."

It had rips and tears, the edges sliced in from the... events...

Dream folded it anyway, putting it neatly beside him.  
He kept undressing and then pulled the larger shirt over his head, patting it down.

It was definitely too big, almost brushing his knees as he stood. The small one glanced back at Cross, finding the other skeleton turned towards the wall.

"Cross...?" He questioned, tilting his head. "You can turn around. I'm done."

The monochrome did as told, glancing over Dream for a moment until his eyes met the golden ones of the one opposite of him.  
"Cute..." He mumbled absentmindedly, seeing Dream blush softly.

They stood in silence until Cross realized what he had said, blushing brightly. "S-sorry..."  
Dream shook his head. "No need to be.."

There was some more silence before Cross looked to the door, starting to take small steps away from Dream.  
"I, uh... I should, uhm, go now... Make yourself at home. I'm on the couch if you need anything."

The smaller nodded. "Alright... Thank you, Cross.."

Cross hummed in response. "No problem. Glad to help." He opened the door. "Goodnight.."

Dream smiled. "Goodnight."

~~~~~

The next morning came way to early for Cross' taste, having tossed and turned around on the couch the whole night with his mind still set on Dream.

Who is he? What happened? Why was he turned to stone? Who the hell was _he_?!

Many more questions flickered through his mind and he got about two or three hours of sleep at most before the sun decided to shine right in his face.

He stood up, making his way into the bedroom, only to find the smaller curled up in the blanket, still slumbering deeply and peacefully.

Cross eyed the other's clothes, neatly placed on a chair in the corner of the room.  
They were dirty, torn... and goopy?

He took the shirt. Dark, slimy stains covered the light blue..

_That's not getting out anymore..._ Cross thought, rubbing his thumb over the fabric.

He glanced back to the bed. Dream still slept, breathing softly.

"He probably won't notice..." The taller mumbled, putting the shirt back and stepping out of the room.

*****

Two hours later, Dream began stirring. His eyes blinked open tiredly, glancing around the room before he recognized where he was.

He folded the blanket back, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed and planting his feet on the carpeted floor.

The small skeleton turned his head towards the chair he had laid his clothes onto the previous night.  
What he found were not his clothes, but new ones.

After inspecting them thoroughly, especially the now shorter cape, he put them on. He glanced at himself in the mirror on the other side of the bed, turning left and right, before finally deciding to step out of the room.

Once in the living room, he noticed Cross sitting on the couch. What struck Dream as odd, though, was the fact that Cross seemed to talk to himself. He could only hear bits and pieces, but the monochrome was clearly in some kind of discussion. "Cross..?"

The taller jumped, caught off-guard, and stared in Dream's direction. "O-oh! Dream, uh, g-good morning!"

Dream giggled softly, still a bit confused, and approached him. "Good morning to you, too. What were you doing just now?" He asked curiously.

"Ah, n-nothing. I was just, uh, thinking out loud... Nothing to worry about." Cross stuttered, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks.

"Oh, that's funny. My br-, uhm.." Dream's smile faltered slightly. " _Someone I knew_ would often do the same when he read books. He always said I should just try to ignore him, but it was quite interesting to listen to what he was mumbling about the story or the characters..."

_Someone he knew..?_

"You seem..." _Depressed? Sorrowful?_ "... sad about it. Were you close with him?" Cross asked.

The golden one nodded in response. "When we were little we spent a lot of time with each other... But things... happened. And we were torn apart.."

Cross was contemplating if he should ask Dream about it. But the forlorn look in the smaller's eyes stopped him from even opening his mouth.  
 _If he wants to talk about it, he will come to me on his own..._

"Would you... like to eat something before we head out..?" He questioned instead, seeing Dream shake his head as an answer.  
"I'm not really hungry. But thank you anyway."

Cross nodded, opening a portal and holding his hand out for Dream to take. "Then let's go.. I guess it's been a while since you've really seen your place, huh?"

Dream smiled slightly and took the offered hand. "Yeah... it has.."

Cross gave his companion's hand a reassuring squeeze, before stepping through the portal, the other close behind.

*****

The first thing Dream saw when they arrived on the other side was the bright sunlight, shining into his eyes. He shut them slightly before he raised a hand to block the sun.  
With his eyes adjusting again, he took a look around, gasping at what he saw.

His last memory of his home had been death and destruction around him, caused by his own kind. The tree destroyed, the sky darkened and the earth blackened by the pure hatred surrounding everything.  
Dead bodies laying scattered on the ground, their blood seeping into the dirt...  
And in the middle of the chaos, a single monster stood. Grinning at what they had done with their new powers...

But now?

Dream was speechless, his throat dry and if he had needed to breathe, he would've forgotten how to do so..  
The hand blocking his view lowered to his mouth, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

Everything was back to how it once was...  
It was bright, it was beautiful, full of flowers, and fields, and...

A sob escaped him.

The tree.. _their_ tree...

It wasn't as majestic as it once had been... but it was growing and flourishing. Soon it would stand tall and proud again.

_It almost feels like home..._ Dream thought, droplets of tears now running across his cheeks as he let go of Cross' hand and took a few tentative steps towards the soon-to-be tree.

He knelt down in front of it, placing both of his hands against the trunk as a smile made its way onto his flushed face. _I'm back, mother... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you two..._

"Are you alright...?" He suddenly heard, glancing back at Cross who looked at him with a worried frown. Dream's smile grew the tiniest bit and he stood up, rushing back to the taller one and burying his face in his chest. His arms wrapped tightly around him and he could feel Cross stiffen up.

"Thank you..." Dream mumbled and Cross returned the hug hesitantly, pulling Dream closer and resting his chin on the smaller's head.

"No problem.."

~~~~~

A few weeks later, Cross sat against the tree in Dream's world, looking over everything he had done today. The village was looking peaceful again, and according to Dream even more so than before.  
The smaller was still at Cross' house, packing a basket with some snacks so they could have a small picnic.

The monochrome closed his eyes, listening to the leaves rustling in the breeze, and waited for the sound of an opening portal and the pleasant feeling of positivity to arrive.

But when the sound finally came... positivity wasn't what met his aura.

Within a second, everything was silent and a feeling of dread washed over him. His eyes snapped open in alarm and what he saw made him freeze.

It seemed it was a skeleton, like him and Dream, but they were covered head to toe in some kind of dark substance.  
Gooey, slimy, and dripping to the ground from the four tentacles sprouting from their back.

The slime covered half of their face and only a single, bright cyan eyelight stared back at him. They looked to be between bored and entirely pissed.

"Who are you?" They both asked at the same time, Cross jumping up from his spot on the grass.

The dark skeleton, definitely a male, seemed to ignore the questions in favor of looking around. "So he really is gone, huh?" His sharp gaze returned to Cross. "What are you doing here?"

The guard didn't answer, his only thoughts being about how he should warn Dream about the threat in his home.

"Answer me!" The goopy one roared. "Who are you and what do you want here?! And where the _fuck_ is he?!"

"Who?" Cross asked in a monotone voice, trying to not be unnerved by the feeling of negative energy in the air.

"The fucking statue, you imbecile! What did you do with it?!"

"Why do you want to know?" Cross questioned again.

"That's none of your business! I know you've been around him, I can feel it! Now tell me!"  
Cross remained stoic, praying to the heavens that Dream would still take some more time before coming here.

The goopy skeleton eyed him for a moment before a grin spread across his face. "Oh, I see what this is about." He took a few steps forward, tentacles swishing playfully behind him.

Cross tried to step back, but the large tree hindered his retreat.  
The Octopus, as Cross now had decided to dub him, stopped in front of him, still grinning.

"You care about him, don't you? If I didn't know any better I'd go a step further and say... you love him~." Octopus purred, one of his tentacles sneaking forward and lightly tipping the monochrome's chin up to inspect him from all sides.  
"Sorry to disappoint, but you really don't seem like his type."

Cross' heart sunk a little, the appendage retreating and Octopus' grin widening. "You're so full of negativity... that's good. Why waste your time on someone who doesn't care, when you could work for me instead~?"

"Dream does care about me!" Cross barked, realizing too late what he had given away.

"I fucking knew it! Stop trying to hide him! Tell me where he is!"

"I'd rather die than tell you anything..."  
The tentacle slid around his neck. "Then so be it."

Before Cross could react, the tentacle tightened around his throat, cutting off every bit of air for Cross.

He tried to grab onto it, but failed miserably as his fingers slipped away from the slime covering the appendage.  
Watching Octopus' grin widen even further, Cross struggled against his grip and his vision started to go black...

He fell to the ground, gasping for air as an arrow, made of magic, flew through the air and impaled the tentacle next to a first one.  
A hiss could be heard from Octopus and his eye fell on the skeleton behind Cross.

"There you are..."

Cross glanced behind him, his eyes widening when he saw Dream, lowering a bow.  
"Stop it, Nightmare... Stop trying to make him miserable. He has done nothing wrong."

Nightmare, as Octopus was apparently called, laughed, his smirk returning to his face. "I'm not _trying_ to do anything. I'm just stating facts. He's desperate, wishing for something he _knows_ he can't have. And yet, he's so blinded by love that he stays, only deepening his negative feelings."

Before Dream could respond, Cross stood in front of him.  
"I don't know what you want from us, but I think it's best if you leave right now and just stay away from us."

Nightmare stared at him unimpressed. "You really think you can threaten me?"  
Cross shrunk back just the slightest bit, feeling Dream's presence behind him.

Nightmare eyed them intensely one last time before a portal opened behind him. "You know what? I'm in a good mood today, so you get to live another day..."

Cross slumped slightly when the portal vanished again, hearing Dream sigh behind him in relief.

The golden one put a hand on his arm, catching the monochrome's attention.  
"Cross... are you alright?"

"I... I'm okay.. I think. What was that?" The taller asked, slightly shaken. Dream hesitated before softly shaking his head. "It doesn't matter..."

"Of course it does!" Cross shot back. "That.. that... thing! It nearly _killed_ me! I think I deserve to know what the hell just happened!" He yelled, only calming down slightly when he saw Dream flinch back at his harsh tone.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have yelled at you... It's not your fault after all."

Dream shook his head again. "You shouldn't apologize. You have every right to feel angry. I mean, it's not every day someone almost chokes you to death, right?" He tried for a small smile, relieved when Cross did the same.

"Yeah... that has actually been the first time something like this has happened." Cross chuckled slightly, relaxing.  
Dream sighed and went over to the tree, relieved that nothing happened to it this time.

He sat down, leaning his head against the trunk, and patted the spot on the ground next to him, motioning Cross to sit down.  
The monochrome did so, copying Dream in leaning back.

Said skeleton sighed once more, glancing up at his companion. "So... do you still want to know about Nightmare..?"  
Cross looked back at him. "Only when you're comfortable talking about him..."

"It'll be fine.." Dream laughed softly, although nothing about what he was about to tell Cross was even the slightest bit funny. "But it's gonna be quite a long story.."

"We've got all the time in the world, so don't worry about that..." Cross answered, giving Dream his undivided attention.

Dream smiled and began the long tale of two brothers...

*****

Once he was done, the sun had already started to set.

Instead of the tree, Dream was now leaning against Cross, the taller's arms wrapped firmly around his shoulders. The golden one's cheeks were still wet from the tears he has shed during their story, his mumbling of "I'm sorry..." and "It's all my fault..." being muffled by Cross' jacket.

The monochrome stroked across his back soothingly, trying to find any words of reassurance.

When he couldn't find any, he remained silent, holding Dream closer to let him know he would stay, no matter what.

Once the last whimpers had stopped and Dream didn't say anything else, Cross glanced down.

Apparently, the smaller skeleton had cried himself to sleep. A frown on his face as he tried to snuggle closer for comfort.  
Cross sighed, pulling Dream into his lap and cradling him against his chest.

He watched the sun set slowly, recalling everything that has happened earlier that day.  
He remembered what Nightmare said about Cross' feelings.

He glanced back at Dream, his face now peaceful as he rested. A small blush started to appear on his cheekbones. Nightmare wasn't wrong... During the time Dream has been in Cross' life, he felt himself being pulled stronger and stronger towards the golden one.

He pulled Dream tighter against him, closing his eyes. _Whatever he wants with you... I won't let him get close enough without having to deal with me before... I promise.._


	5. AfterDeath - Train Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Reaper is ditched by Geno... or so he thinks.

Three hours.

They had planned to meet at 6 pm. Now Reaper has already been waiting for three hours at the train station. Their train was long since gone.

They had wanted to go on a date. Their anniversary date. Two years.

Reaper knew that Geno was always a bit late for their dates. He had to look for what to wear, get ready, and then spend almost half an hour to convince his little brother that, no, he is not going to run away with Reaper and never come back.

But he was NEVER more than ten minutes late.

Somewhere, there was a chime. 9 pm.

Reaper's texts didn't go through. His calls neither. Geno hadn't left a message to postpone their date.

He felt a tear make its way across his face. Maybe Geno finally decided he was sick of his boyfriend.

He had been more grumpy for the past week or two, it had seemed. Maybe leaving Reaper to rot at the station was his way of breaking up with him...

More tears appeared in his eye sockets as he fumbled through the pocket of his jeans. Then he pulled out the little black velvet box.

He had been saving for it since day one of their relationship. He had been sure about it since he first met Geno in middle school.

One day, I'm going to marry him.

The date today was supposed to include his proposal to his loved one.

He knew that, maybe, it was pretty early. With himself being almost twenty and Geno being about two years younger than him.  
But he was sure. Very sure. About their relationship, about his decision, about his want to spend the rest of his life with Geno..

Though.... it seemed like Geno didn't feel the same...

More tears crossed his cheekbones as sobs escaped his mouth. He didn't want to cry. He really didn't...

He couldn't help it.

His hands brushed over his face, again and again, trying to get rid of the drops of magic still running over his face.

Then he heard it.  
Footsteps. Rushing towards him.  
But it wasn't Geno. Even when running, Geno's steps were light. Those were heavy.

"Death!"  
Yup, definitely not Geno.

Reaper turned his head slightly, surprised to see Geno's younger brother, Fresh, running over to him.  
His obviously fake smile, which somehow managed to unnerve Reaper to no end... It wasn't there. This... was not normal. Worrying, to say the least.

The taller was grabbed by the wrist, Fresh wasn't saying anything, just dragging him out of the station and to a car. A pink haired woman sat inside, seeming anxious as she waited.

Geno's mom....

Reaper was close to panicking. But he didn't get the chance to say anything, before he was shoved onto the backseat of the car.

Fresh scrambled in after him and gave his mom a signal to start driving.

The next thirty minutes were torture for Reaper.  
The silence dragged on the whole time, he felt as if it would somehow manifest and crush him.

He felt his soul nearly stop when they stopped in front of a hospital.

The three of them went inside, taking the elevator and walking down the hallway to where Error sat in front of a room, his head resting in his hands.  
He looked up as soon as he heard the others approaching.

"There you guys are! I thought you'd never get back!" Error shouted, running towards his mother and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She softly patted his head reassuringly. "Don't worry. How is he?"  
Error slowly shook his head. "He's still unconscious, but his mumbling got quieter.." He glanced at Reaper. "Still asking for him..."

All eyes were on the taller, black-clad skeleton, making him slightly uncomfortable.  
CQ put a hand on his back, he couldn't help but flinch, and spoke softly. "Maybe you should go and see him. He's been muttering your name since they brought him into his room."

Almost numb, Reaper nodded, turning towards the door and opening it slowly. The small room was bright but not too bright to hurt his eyes, the lights turned on and the curtains closed. Understandable, given the time.

A bed stood close to the window, the figure in it breathing heavily.

Slow, unsure steps brought Reaper towards the other skeleton, their eyes closed tightly and their face twisted into a soft frown..

"Gen..." Reaper mumbled, subconsciously taking a seat on the chair next to the bed. His eyes roamed the smaller skeleton, bruises on their face and arms, which were wrapped around his stomach.

Looking back to Geno's face, Reaper noticed that the smaller seemed to mumble something, his mouth opening and closing almost unnoticeable.  
Reaper leaned closer carefully, trying to make out the small whispers of his beloved.

"Reaps..."

It was barely audible, but it was there. Reaper frowned and took Geno's hand.

"I'm here, baby... It's gonna be okay.." He mumbled, not noticing Geno's family come in, causing him to jump as soon as a hand was laid onto his shoulder.

He looked up, seeing Geno's mother. "He got in a car accident on his way to you... I'm really sorry we weren't able to tell you sooner... It was just... too much all at once.."

Reaper looked back to Geno, feeling a terrible sting in his soul for doubting him.

"It's okay.." Reaper mumbled. "I just... I just hope he gets better as soon as possible..."

CQ's grip tightened, almost fearful. "I'm sure he will..." Her voice was shaking slightly.

When the door opened again they watched the doctor come in.

"I'm sorry for interrupting." He said. "I just wanted to check on him again. Nothing to worry about."

Reaper nodded, standing up to make room for the doctor.

Some time later, the doctor smiled. "They are both okay."

Reaper was confused.  
Both..? Like, Geno and the driver both?

Error grumbled beside him. "They better be. Or that bastard of a driver is the next one to visit the hospital!" His mom shushed him softly.

So....not the driver..? But....who is the other person then...?

Reaper was ripped out of his thoughts by the doctors voice.  
"I can assure you that both, the mother and the child, are a hundred percent stable."

Reaper froze. Child?!

His world was spinning around him, he could faintly hear the doctor call a nurse for assistance. Then his body met the ground and everything went black.

~~~~~

The room was silent aside from a soft breeze, blowing through the open window and letting the curtains sway lightly.

Geno's eye fluttered open, blinking hazily at the ceiling above him. He glanced around the room, the white walls combined with the sunlight streaming in was almost blinding him and he had to close his socket again.  
Slow breathing at the side of his bed forced Geno to look again, his fuzzy eye light widening at the sight of his boyfriend. Arms crossed over the snowy blanket and his head resting on his forearms.

Reaper had such a content look on his face, peaceful and relaxed, without a care in the world.

Geno raised his hand lightly, taking notice of the infusion catheter placed in his hand. Briefly, he wondered what had happened to get him back to the hospital.

His hand found the top of Reaper's head, stroking softly over the bone before travelling down and brushing against the taller's cheek. It lingered there for a moment, his thumb caressing the edge of his cheekbone, before the black-clad skeleton began to stir.

A small groan could be heard as Reaper sat up, his arms stretching over his head until a, for him satisfying, pop could be heard from his spine.

Geno laughed lightly. "Getting old already, Reaps..?"

Reaper looked back at him, his features soft as he smiled at his boyfriend. "Gen... How're you feeling, Love?"

"I don't know..." Geno mumbled. "Kinda sore... Can't really remember what happened...." His eyes suddenly went wide and his arms wrapped around his stomach.  
"I... I need to talk to the doctor.."

Reaper went silent for a second or two, his expression not readable until it melted back into a loving grin and he took Geno's hand in his own. "Don't worry... The doctor said nothing happened to them during the accident... they are fine.."

"W.. what?" Geno questioned, but he seemed more relaxed than before.

The taller stroked softly over the other's hand, keeping his attention on his lover. "When did you want to tell me? About the baby I mean."

Geno blushed lightly, averting his eye. "I'm not... I mean I..." Finally he sighed.  
"... I.. I wanted to tell you on our date.. I've known for about two weeks..."

Reaper chuckled. "So that's why you were extra grumpy?"

Geno flushed more. "I wasn't!"

"Of course you weren't~." Reaper joked, leaning over to kiss that pout on his boyfriend's face away. He knew it worked when he felt the smaller melt into the kiss.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you earlier, babe..." Reaper murmured once they parted, leaning his forehead against the smaller's.

"It's okay..." Geno sighed. "You couldn't have known something happened..."  
He looked to a bedside table. "I wanted to call you since I would've been a few minutes late anyway... I don't even know if my phone is still working.. I'm sure I had it in my hand when I was hit."

Reaper spared a glance to the same nightstand, opening a drawer. Inside was a phone in a dark red case, the screen cracked in several places.

He took it out and tried the power button. The screen flickered to life briefly, before turning off again a few seconds later, showing the empty darkness once more.  
A second try failed instantly once the pone stayed black.

"It's completely wrecked... I don't think this can be saved." Reaper said, before shoving the device into his pocket. "I'm gonna get you a new one."

"You don't have to..." Geno muttered, flushing slightly at Reaper's genuine smile.  
"I want to, Gen. And all your stuff is gonna be there, too."

Geno stared at him for a bit longer before turning away. "W-whatever..."

Reaper chuckled. Of course Geno would react like this.  
But Reaper, knowing his little tsundere better than anyone else, knew that the smaller was genuinely grateful for Reaper's offer.  
"Anything for you, Darling~."

He reached over again to grasp the other's hand once more, grinning slightly when Geno gave him a soft smile.

"I love you, Reaper.." He whispered, the words ringing loud and clear through the empty room.

Reaper's grin softened into a loving smile and he lifted the hand he held to his lips, kissing it lightly.  
"I love you, too, Geno."


End file.
